Food & Drink
Swedish-Inspired Wineries Around The U.S.
When the seasons begin to change from summer to fall, the leaves start changing colors and the weather gets cooler, there’s nothing we love more than a weekend outing to a scenic winery.
While there aren’t any Swedish-inspired wineries near our Umgås headquarters, we do know of a handful of wineries around the United States that have a little bit of Swedish flair.
Swedish Hill Winery
Romulus, N.Y.
With an adorable donkey mascot named Doobie, Swedish Hill Winery is situated in northern New York, smack dab in between Syracuse and Rochester. The winemakers at Swedish Hill were named winemakers of the year at the 2017 San Francisco International Wine Competition. The winery has a wide selection of whites, reds, rosés, sparkling and dessert wines to choose from, including its Viking Red and its Svenska White.
Bergström Wines
Newberg, Ore.
Touting themselves as “Growers of Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since 1999,” Bergström Wines was founded by John and Karen Bergström. John grew up in a small village in Sweden and when he was a teen, he came to Oregon to pursue the American Dream. He became a surgeon, raised five children and ultimately decided to start the winery. Today, Bergström Wines consists of five vineyards across 84 acres. It produces 10,000 cases annually.
Hedman Vineyards & Winery
Alto Pass, Ill.
Hedman Vineyards & Winery was founded by a pair of Swedes, Gerd and Anders Hedman, who came to the States with the intention of being here only a year. Fast forward two decades later and they’re still here with a business to boot. In addition to the winery, the property also holds a restaurant, a B&B and event space. It produces a variety of whites and reds, including Swedish glögg.
Sjoeblom Winery
Napa, Calif.
If you’re looking for a winery with real “sparkle,” then Sjoeblom Winery is a winner. Started by Swedish entrepreneur Mike Sjöblom, the winery started with its Chauvignon Crystal, a sparkling wine made with cabernet grapes. In an interview with Umgås, Sjöblom said, “Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of wines, and Champagne is the queen of wines. I married them together.” In addition to the winery’s Sjoeblom Club, it also has a glögg club!
Fullerton Wines
Portland, Ore.
It’s a family affair at Fullerton Wines, whose Three Otters Rosé was named one of the best 25 rosé wines in the world by VinePair earlier this year. Susanne Fullerton was born in Sweden, and the Fullertons lived in Denmark before starting their winery in 2012. Susanne and husband Eric own the winery, and son Alex is the winemaker. Daughter Caroline does design work when she’s not working at Nike, and son Filip helps out where he can.
